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SANDY — Even with her bubbly and outgoing personality, Jill Anderson is scared.
"The longer I have it, the worse it's getting," she said.
It's been two years since Anderson was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Even though society seems to have put the pandemic behind them, she's still dealing with it every day.
"My ability to concentrate, my ability to remember things past five seconds, is going," she said. "I find myself walking around my house all the time and not knowing what I am doing."
Anderson is part of a group known as COVID-19 long-haulers. It's where the symptoms of the virus have stayed for far longer than in most people.
Anderson has dealt with blood clots in her lungs, extreme fatigue, and heart issues. However, her memory and cognitive abilities are what really concern her because that brain fog is getting worse.
"We all have those moments in life where it's like this minor, wait, why did I come in here? But in this case, it is everywhere, every day," she said. "I'm starting to forget how to spell words. It's progressing."
It's tough for Anderson because she used to be very active. She was always traveling and hiking. Anderson even won an award for saving a man's life in Bells Canyon in 2010.
Ever since getting COVID-19, though, she has stayed in her Sandy home for the most part.
"I have missed out on so many things, like weddings," she said.
Her situation has cost her her job and even her medical insurance, when she was denied long-term disability.
"My last day at work was Aug. 1 and I found out on Aug. 3 that my long-term disability claim was denied," she said. "It is a circus of jumping through hoops to get these things appealed."
She's hoping long-hauler COVID-19 research, like what's being done at the University of Utah, might one day bring answers and recovery.
In the meantime, she also hopes society will still understand, for many people, the pandemic isn't over.
Her friends and family have set up a GoFundMe* page to help her with medical bills in the meantime.
"I'm not the only case. There are people out there who have it much worse than me," she said. "People deserve a lot of compassion, a lot of patience, a lot of empathy, and a lot of love."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
